


Mom's the Word

by The7thDraconian



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, background lumity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27918814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The7thDraconian/pseuds/The7thDraconian
Summary: Camila finds out her daughter never went to camp? She finds out why when she gets transported to the Boiling Isles. The question is, should she bring her daughter back home with her or let her stay in a place of fire, claws, and teeth. Eda has no intention of letting Luz go, but is she doing this for the right reasons?
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Camila Noceda & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda
Comments: 30
Kudos: 234
Collections: Eda and Luz are family





	1. Where is she?

It was on the third day that her thoughts got too loud for her to ignore. She’d been spending the first two days of her “Too much accumulated PTO” vacation going through her Netflix watchlist until she found herself unable to relax with her intrusive thoughts starting to yell. Some of them were things she was used to, the _Why aren’t you doing something productive?_ or _Have you gained weight from two night’s of takeout?_ or the surprisingly common _WILL YOU DIE ALONE?!_ The kind of stuff easily dispelled by a few minutes of mindfulness or by vacuuming a bit. However, one thought refused to be silenced: _You sent your daughter away to get rid of what made her Luz. You’re a terrible mother._

It got to the point where it drowned out whatever she was trying to watch. She turned off the tv and walked outside to sit on the porch. Now was the time to confront these thoughts directly.

“It’s fine, she’s fine,” she said. “You’ve got the texts she’s been sending about the friends she’s made and the fun she’s having.”

_She’s lying to make you feel better._

“Luz isn’t a liar.“

_Maybe not, but she might start if she didn't want to disappoint you._

“Even if she’s not having a great time, she needs this. She needs help grounding herself and interacting with the real world. No matter what, this will be good for her in the long run.”

_By getting rid of what makes her special. Something she would never agree to unless the alternative was making you unhappy. Just like what happened between you and your-_

“Nope, not finishing that thought. I’m just going to give the camp a call and see if I can talk to her. I’m sure they won’t mind me having a short chat.”

Her phone was fished out, the number dialed, several rings rung, and a voice on the other end answered, “Hello, Camp Reality Check, where we help you think inside the box, how can I help you?”

“Hi, this Camila Noceda, mother of Luz Noceda, I was wondering if I could speak with my daughter for a few minutes.”

“Oh, sorry ma’am, we don’t usually allow calls from home unless it’s an emergency.”

_Oh boy, looks like I’ve got to play the single mom card._

“I understand,” Camila said. “It’s just, she’s my only daughter and it’s been so hard coming back to an empty house and remembering she’s not here. It’s just,” _And add a little sniffle there._ “I just want to hear her voice for a little bit, just so I know she’s alright.”

“I… well… I guess a few minutes couldn’t hurt. Could I get the name of the child again?”

“Luz Noceda. L-U-Z.”

“Alright, just a moment and I’ll… Huh, that’s strange. I’m not seeing anyone with that name. Let me take a closer look, she might just be… Actually, it says here that you cancelled.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, we got a letter in the mail that said, and I’m just quoting here, ‘After some thought, I’ve decided against sending my daughter to your Drone School or whatever. Instead, I’m keeping her home where she can actually be, you know, someone unique and interesting. Don’t worry about the money, use it to buy something nice for your hive. Thanks for nothing, Camila Noceda.’”

Camila had to grab the wall as her legs gave out. She tried several times to say something, but the words struggled to form.

“No one, I mean, nobody thought it was weird?!” she said.

“You’d be be surprised some of the comments we get. More importantly, are you saying that you had no idea?”

“No, I thought she was at camp for the last six weeks!”

“Oh my god! Do you want us to call the police?”

“I’ll call them. Thank you for your time.”

“Are you sure, you sound kind of-“

“Good bye.”

The call ended, Camila allowed herself to collapse to the ground as a hundred terrified thoughts ran across her mind. She could feel her throat tighten and her body shake. All that was there was the confusion and fear wrecking her body as the world seemed to crumble around her.

_No, you don’t have time for this. Luz needs you! Remember, focus on your breath. Inhale. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale. One. Two Three. Four. Repeat. Inhale._

Each intake of air calmed her shakes and slowed her heart. Each exhale brought a bit more calm and made her feel less paralyzed. When the moment had passed, she lay her head back, reveling in the weight that was now gone from her chest.

“Okay,” she said. “Now just think about your next-“

Scratching sounds from upstairs.

“Que?”

THUD

Camila pushed against the wall until she was upright. She started towards the stairs, her steps measured and light.

_Maybe it’s just a raccoon. Like that one Luz tried to keep as a pet._

As she went up the stairs, it was becoming clear that the noise was coming from Luz’ room. She turned the knob, opening the door centimeter by centimeter. Through the crack, rummaging through the closet was… Camila had no idea. The setting sun draped the room in long shadows that kept her from getting a clear look. The only thing clearly visible was a bushy tail. Whatever it was, it threw out clothing, stuffed toys, and strange nick nacks until it froze. It held up one of Luz’ stuffed rabbits and it… it chuckled. Camila gasped, causing it to turn to her with glowing yellow eyes. The creature screeched and dashed for the open window.

“Oh no you don’t!” Camila said, leaping for it. She felt tail fur brush her palm, but her hand closed around nothing. It was out the window and heading towards the forest. Something, she couldn’t put down exactly what, told Camila to follow. She was down the stairs, out the door, and running into the forest fast as she could. She ran in the last direction she’d saw the creature go. She froze when she saw the abandoned house in the clearing. Except, she didn’t remember it having a door. Especially not one with a huge yellow eye. The creature from before was hanging from the knob, struggling to get it open. Camila snuck forward, only for a twig to snap underfoot. The creature looked back, saw her and redoubled its efforts. Finally managing to get it open. It leapt through, Camila following before she even had time to consider the consequences.

What awaited her on the other side wasn’t a dilapidated house but the inside of a tent, filled near to bursting with junk.

“What the?! You actually came through?!” She looked to the voice to get her first clear look at the creature. It looked like a dog wearing the skull of some horned animal, as well as a large collar around its neck. “You see some weird monster go through a door with a giant eye on it and you follow it? What are you, nuts?”

“I think the still jury’s out on that,” Camila said, her head spinning.

“Geez, guess I know where Luz gets her crazy from.”

“Wait, you know Luz?!”

“Wha- No, I don’t. I don’t know anything about a human girl, brown hair, loves the Azura series, and- Wow. I cannot shut up when I am scared.”

“Where is she?”

“Um- that is- well- you see- Gotta go!”

#

“So you’re getting to the point where Hellbeast burritos go right through you, that doesn’t mean you’re getting old,” Eda said, walking back to her stall after having spent half an hour dealing with… nature’s calling. She’d been in such a hurry she’d left King in charge and she was hoping that, at the very least, the stand wasn’t on fire right now. She was about a hundred feet away when she saw King shoot out of tent like a rocket, followed by a figure in what looked like sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt.

“What the?” Eda said. She looked inside the tent to see the door to the human world was open. “Great, I leave for a bit and King lets another human into The Boiling Isles.” She clicked the key to fold up the door. “Better go deal with that before it gets out of hand. Come to think of it, haven’t I seen that human from somewhere? Unless King got it to open up outside the old house, then Luz probably knows them. Probably a neighbor or-“ Eda’s mind flashed to Grom. She froze. “Oh Titan, I CANNOT let her find Luz!”

#

“¡Vuelve aquí!” Camila yelled _._

“No! Just leave me alone!” the creature said.

The little thing was gaining pretty good ground since he was able to just run through people’s legs rather than dodge past them. Until he ran smack into one of them. That someone turned around, revealing themselves to have one eye and huge mouth where their stomach should be. It looked down at the creature and flashed the sharp teeth of its stomach-mouth. The creature tried to run, but found himself hoisted in the air by his leg.

“Been needing a snack.” Bigmouth said.

“NO! Don’t you dare! Do you know who I am?!” the creature yelled.

“Tasty?”

“No! I’m the master of the Isles! The ruler of darkness! The king of demons!”

“Ooh, never eaten royalty before.”

“Nooooooooo!”

“Wait,” Camila said. “I’m sorry, but you can’t eat him.”

“But I’m hungry,” bigmouth said. “Unless you got something to trade.”

“Hold on,” Camila said, digging through her sweatpants’ pockets and pulling out… a bit of lint, three pennies, and a rolled up gum wrapper. “Wait, let me check my other po-“

“DEAL!” Bigmouth snatched the pennies and handed over the creature. They tossed the pennies into their mouth and chewed with a satisfied grin. “Mmmmm, coppery.”

“Wow,” Camila said, watching Bigmouth walk away. “That went much better than expected.” She turned her eyes to the creature in her arms. “Now, about my daughter.”

“Uh oh.”

King, despite his constant flailing, was powerless as Camila carried him by the scruff of his neck into a nearby alley.

“Talk,” she said. “Where’s my Luz?”

“I’ll never tell!” the creature said

“I’m going to ask nicely one more time and if you don’t spill, then I’ll be forced to use drastic measures.”

“Drastic measures? Ha! I’m not scared of you.”

“One more time. Where. Is. My. Daughter?”

“You know, I think I might have seen her in the Lake of Blazing Blood. Maybe you should go jump in it.”

Camila sighed. “Then you leave me no choice.”

“Do your worst. I can take it.”

“Oh ho ho, I don’t think so. I’ve yet to meet anyone immune to THIS!” She started tickling.

“Wha- No!” King yelled, a river of laughter poured from his mouth. “This- Ha Ha Ha- isn’t- ha ha- working at all!”

“Oh really? Not even if I go for here?” She moved her assault to under his armpit.

“YOU MONSTER!” Tears were starting to pour from the creature’s eyes. “STOP! I’M GONNA GET THE HICCUPS!”

“Not until you tell me where Luz is!”

“FINE! FINE! YOU WIN!” Camila halted her assault. The creature gasped as it tried to catch its breath. “I’ll tell you where Luz is. But you gotta come in closer.”

“Alright,” Camila said, bringing the demon up to her ear.

“Okay, you can find Luz aaaaaattttttt-“ That was when something warm and slimy entered her ear.

“EIIIEEE! ¡Aye guácala!” Camila was so caught up in trying to get monster slobber off her ear that she forgot to hold onto the monster.

“Ha! Victory!” he yelled, hitting the ground running.

“OH COME ON!”

The creature dashed into the street, Camila not far behind. The demon laughed as Camila struggled to close the gap. Until he skidded to a halt and tried to change direction. Camila didn’t stop to think why, just dove forward and tackled him.

“Gotcha,” she yelled.

“LETMEGOLETMEGOLETMEGO!”

“NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHERE MY DAUGHTER IS YOU LITTLE SON OF A-“

“Mami?”

Camila froze. She looked up and there was Luz standing in the doorway of the shop the creature had tried to avoid.

“Mija?”

“Mom, what are you doing here?”

Camila dropped the creature and started walking towards her daughter.

“Wait, what am I saying? You should be the one asking that. I’m the one who ran away.”

Camila just kept walking forward.

“Look, I know I should have told you, I know it was wrong to lie, but I was… I just…”

She stopped in front of her daughter, going down to one knee.

“Mami?”

Camila threw her arms around Luz and hugged her like she would disappear if she ever let go.

“Mija,” she said. “I was so scared.”

“I…” She couldn’t see it, but Camila could feel from the way Luz was shaking that she was struggling not to cry. “I… I’m so sorry.” She returned her mother’s hug.

“I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“Let go of her you monster!” the creature yelled smashing his tiny fists into Camila’s side.

“King?” Luz said, as she and her mother separated. “What’s going on here?”

“She followed me from the human world and now we have to get her back before she takes yo away!”

“Wait, you were in the human world?”

“Oh right,” the creature, King, held up the stuffed rabbit he’d stolen from Luz’ room.

“Oh my gosh, you got this for me?!”

“Well, it sounded like you really wanted to give this to Amity so I decided to grab it for you.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you King.”

“Who’s Amity?” Camila said.

“Hey Luz,” said a girl with pointed ears and green hair walking out of the building Luz had been in. “Did something happen? You kind of ran out all of a sudden and-“ She froze, her gaze focused on Camila.

“Speak the Devil,” Luz said.

The green haired girl turned to Luz. “Your mother is here? Like, right here? On the Boiling Isles? Not an illusion or anything, actually here?”

“Pretty much.”

“Wow… that’s… I… I was not prepared for this.”

Luz tried, but failed, to suppress a giggle. “Mom, this is one of the coolest people I know,” she said, walking over to the other girl’s side and putting a hand over her shoulder. “Amity Blight. My girlfriend”

“Girlfriend?!” Camila said.

“It’s kind of a recent thing but yeah.”

“AAAAAAHHHHH! MIJA YOU’RE ON A DATE!” Her mom swept her up in another hug, twirling her around. “I’m so so so so so proud of you! You’re growing up so fast! And she’s so pretty! I can’t tell you how happy this-“

“Ahem.”

Camila stopped. She looked to see a woman with wild grey hair and a golden fang sticking out from her mouth looking at her with narrowed gold eyes.

“YES!” King yelled. “Eda’s here to save the day!”

“Oh, mami, this is Eda, Eda the Owl Lady” Luz said. “She’s my magic teacher and the one whose been looking after me.”

“Oh,” Camila said, putting her daughter down. The Owl Lady was giving her a look that was putting Camila on edge. Like a guard dog that was trying to decide whether to attack or not. “It’s good to meet you and I really should thank you for looking after my daughter.” She extended her hand.

“You should,” The Owl Lady said, ignoring the offer.

Camila had no words.

“So as you can see, Luz is fine, so you can go home now.” She pulled out a key, clicking the eye on the handle summoning the door that had brought Camila here. “Here’s the exit. Don’t think your visit here hasn’t been a little slice of heaven. Cause it hasn’t.”

Camila clenched her fists. “Sorry, but I’m afraid it isn’t that simple,” she said, slamming the door shut.

“Seems pretty simple to me. You wanted Luz sent someplace where she could grow and make friends, right? Well, she’s in that place and it’s better than that camp thing. Now that that’s cleared up, let me get the door.”

“And leave my daughter in a place full of monsters to be looked after by a stranger? I don’t think so.”

“So, you’d prefer she go someplace to get everything unique about her taken away? Wow, A- plus parenting right there.”

“Watch it,” Camila said, stepping forward. “You don’t know a thing about me or about what I’d do for my daughter.”

“Seems to me I have a pretty good idea,” Eda said, leaning in. “I mean, unless you can think of some other reason why she ran away?”

Camila stepped back at that. She was silent for a moment, before she dug her nails into her palms and looked the Owl Lady right in the eye. “And you’re somehow better? Some woman who steals kids away and then teaches them to keep secrets from their parents?”

“Oh ho, you wanna go, sister?” The Owl Lady drew a glowing circle in the air. “Cause I’m more than ready to give you a demonstration of-“

“Okay, that’s it,” Luz said, getting between her teacher and her mother. “I know a lot’s happening right now, but can we please sit down and discuss this instead of fighting.”

“Luz, sweetie, I’m gonna need you to move aside so I can magic this problem away,” The Owl Lady said.

“I don’t care what you can do, I’m not letting you take Luz,” Camila said.

“Well, too bad for you, but she’s my apprentice so that means I get the final say.”

“Actually,” Amity said. “Since you’re a wanted criminal, you don’t have the same authority as other masters. Even if you didn’t have a record, Article 37 of Coven Law says that the legal guardians of the apprentice have the ability to veto or end a mentorship at any time.”

…

“What? I finished my homework early and decided to do some light reading afterwards.”

“Magical Law is light reading?” Luz said. “You really are something else Ms. Blight.”

“Pretty and smart, I’m liking her more and more, mija,” Camila said.

“Wow, thank you so much for that information,” The Owl Lady said through gritted teeth. “It was VERY HELPFUL!”

“Yeah, whose side are you on?” King said.

“I’m not on anyone’s side,” Amity said. “I’m just pointing out the facts. I mean, do you think I want Luz gone. Cause if that’s what you’re implying than I’ve got news for-“

“Enough!” Luz said, stamping her foot. “No more fighting! We are going to go inside the restaurant, get a table, and then discuss this like normal people without throwing insults or fireballs. Is that clear?!”

Amity sighed. “Alright,” she said.

“Ugh, sure,” The Owl Lady said.

“Fine,” King said.

“It’s what I wanted from the start,” Camila said.

#

Eda hadn’t liked Luz’ mom from the moment she’d heard the kid explain what summer camp was. Meeting the woman in person just cemented her as the kind of person who’d send their kid someplace to get their personality drained. She concentrated that anger into her gaze and kept it focused on the woman, hoping she’d be able to make her spontaneously combust. It wasn’t working and worse, the woman was actually meeting her gaze square-on and with the same level of intensity.

“So anyway,” Luz said. “I’ve got an idea. I show my mom around the Boiling Isles for a bit, and then later, she can come to the Owl House in the evening and make her final decision over dinner.” Luz looked to the woman. “Mami, if you give me a chance to show you this place, I promise I’ll go along with whatever you think is best. Okay?.”

The woman rubbed her fingers into her temples. “I suppose that if you’re so set on staying here, than I owe it to you to see what it’s like for myself.”

Luz broke into the biggest smile, she gave the woman a hug and uttered a hundred thank you’s in both english and spanish. Luz then looked to Eda.

“Would you be willing to get everything ready for dinner, please?”

There was a lot Eda was willing to do for the human girl, but there were times where she could feel her patience running thin. Right now, it was thinner than spider silk.

“So you’re suggesting that not only do I give this woman the final say about what happens with **my** apprentice, but I also have to prepare dinner for her?”

Luz gave Eda her best puppy dog eyes. “It would really mean a lot to me if you did.”

Eda looked from her apprentice to the woman. Never had she been more tempted to conjure a ball of fire and let that solve the problem “Alright, sounds lovely,” she said, trying to smile but looking more like she was getting a large splinter shoved under each of her fingernails.


	2. Welcome to the Boiling Isles

“Alright, plan’s set, lets get going,” Luz said.

Before Amity went on her way, the woman stopped her.

“Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?” she said.

“Me?” Amity said. “Wouldn’t I be intruding?”

“Not at all. I’d love for you to come.”

The witchling’s face started to turn red. “I mean- I- I-”

“Please?” Luz said, taking her girlfriend’s hand.

Amity smiled, tucking a loose thread of hair behind her ear. “Alright.”

Eda scoffed as she picked up King and jumped on her staff, sailing off into the sky. “Looks like we can’t rely on Amity for back up on this,” she said. “She’s too eager to please.”

“Then what do we do?” King said. “We can’t take any chances here. You don’t know what that monster is capable of.” He shuddered.

“Not exactly ominous coming from you, but you’re right about one thing. We gotta make sure everything goes well if we want this to end with minimal bloodshed.”

“Huh,” King said. “That actually doesn’t sound too hard. Heck, this might be our easi-“

“Don’t jinx it!”

King kept his mouth shut for the rest of the trip.

“Hi guys,” Hooty said after they landed. “Did you have fun today? Make any new friends? Make any new enemies? Make any new pacts with dark forces?”

“No. No. Maybe. Not since the Exolobol incident. Anyway, we’ve got guests tonight so try to be a little less… You.”

“No promises.”

“No more dallying,” King said. “We gotta get started on everything right away!”

“Ah, keep your fur on,” Eda said, hand on the door knob. “Not like we have much to cle-“

The door opened to reveal what might have been a living room at one point. Empty bottles of various sizes littered the floor along with the corpses of snack bags. A multitude of boardgames, card games, and jigsaw puzzles had been Frankensteined into something that had probably only made sense when everyone playing had been drunk/on a sugar high. The couch had been split in half by a battle axe, the blade coated in blood, or possibly jelly.

“Oh yeah,” Eda said. “Game night was last night, wasn’t it?”

“NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!” King fell to his knees and shook his tiny fists at the sky. “We’re never gonna be able to clean this up in time! What am I gonna do without Luz’s belly scratches? Or animal costume tea parties? Or… or… or-“

“GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF” Eda yelled, picking the demon up and shaking him. “We still have at least five hours until dinner. That is more than enough time to cook, clean, and possibly hide any bodies we’re forgetting about. But we are not gonna be able to get anything done if you don’t cool it with the dramatics!”

“By the way,” Hooty said. “Did you happen to check the stove this morning?”

“No,” Eda said. “Why?”

The side of the house exploded; something rocketed off and splashed into the ocean.

“That’s why,” Hooty said.

“And I’m guessing that’s the stove,” Eda said.

“Can I get back to my hysterics now?” King said.

“No! This is just a tiny set back. Hooty, you try to get your wall put back together. King, you get to work on the living room. I’ll try to see about getting our stove back. Understood?”

“On it, hoothoot.”

“Alright,” King said. “For Luz!”

“That’s the spirit,” Eda said, putting the demon down. As she flew out over the water, she found her mind wandering towards worst case scenarios: where that woman got her way and Luz was forced back to the human world. Something about that possibility awakened something in Eda that she hadn’t felt in quite a while. Not since she was a kid.

“I know what kind of person you are,” she whispered. “And I’d rather get cursed a hundred times over than let you take my Luz.”

#

“And on the first stop of our tour, we come to,” Luz crouched down. “The Market!” She jumped up with her arms spread towards the huge expanse of stalls and booths. The people, both the customers and the merchants, ranged from vaguely human to something out a nightmare. The items up for sale included everything from cursed paintings to blessed rocks. Camilia, feeling like a chicken in a fox den, was led by a non-plussed Luz through the market.

“Over there is where you go if you want rare herbs. That booth has the best enchanted fabrics, and the two witches running it have the best gossip. Also there’s- Oh wait, this is perfect.”

Camilia was dragged along by her daughter until they were in front of what looked like a fruit stand. She felt herself loosen up as she looked over the rainbow of berries, apples, and other fruits in front of her. _Wait?! Is some of it moving?!_

“Hey Mrs. Hannah,” Luz said. “What’s good today?”

The creature behind the stand, who looked like a bat wearing a simple black dress and apron with “Batty for Fruit” on it, said, “You’re in luck Luz, I just got a delivery of slugnannas. Practically right off the branch.”

“Ooh, I love those. Two please.”

Camilia’s eyes roamed over the various fruits on display, most of them remaining stationary and others, like those yellow-green things, were clearly trying to squirm out of their box. _Whatever she just bought, please don’t let it be those. Please God, please, don’t let it be-_

“Thank you,” Luz said as the bat lady handed over two yellow-green things.

_Oh no._

“You want me to deal with them?” Mrs. Hannah said.

“No thanks, I got this.” Luz then smacked each of the fruits onto the table, a wet thud ringing out after each strike.

_Stay strong Camilia. Just don’t get sick._

“Here, this one’s fresher,” Luz said.

Camilia, her stomach doing flip flops, grit her teeth and said, “Gracias, mija.” She also thanked the lord that the skin of the fruit wasn’t slimy like it appeared to be.

Luz wasted no time chomping right into hers and making audible “yummy” sounds as she chewed.

Her mother looked at hers, let out a sigh, closed her eyes and took a bite. The first thing she noticed was that it was crunchy as a pickle. The second thing was how juicy it was, leaving both her hands and chin sticky. The third thing she noticed was that it was delicious; it was sweet as a strawberry with a tart aftertaste. She couldn’t help it, she started making “yummy” sounds right alongside her daughter.

“Good, right?” Luz said.

“It’s fantastic,” Camilia said, taking several more bites.

“It actually took me a while before Eda convinced me to give them a try, but once I did, they became one of my favorite snacks ever. That’s the thing with this place, things seem freaky, but when you take the time to- Tentacle!”

“Que?” She looked down to see an actual tentacle reach into her pocket, pull out her phone, and then slither away. “Oh no.”

“Don’t worry, they can’t have gotten far,” Luz said, dashing off into the crowd.

“Wait! Luz!” Camilia followed. The two of them dashed through the market until Luz stopped.

“There’s out target,” she said, pointing to a figure with a beard of tentacles wandering from booth to booth.

“How can you tell?” Camilia said.

“Because of that.” She pointed to the tentacle that slithered down their arm to the ground before disappearing under the nearby booths. “Once its hidden like that, it’ll make it hard for it to be traced back to them if they get caught. Oldest trick in the book.”

“I’m starting to worry about what kind of books you’ve been reading.”

“Mostly the Azura books again. See, Amity and I started a book club and- Actually, I’ll tell you later. Right now, we gotta get this guy.”

“Couldn’t we just call the police, or at least the scary Boiling Isles equivalent?”

“Nah, they’re kind of useless and this way is a lot more fun.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out several sheets of paper with strange symbols on them. She stuffed one of them into her wallet and then started walking in the direction of the tentacle. Camilia watched from a distance as said tentacle slithered out from under a booth and snatched the bait. It snapped back to the owner, who made a sound like a chuckle before opening the wallet and pausing.

“The heck is-“

The symbol glowed before transforming into a ball of light. The thief screeched and tried to cover their eyes. While they were blinded, Luz grabbed a stick and drew a large symbol on the ground behind them. She then slapped another of those glyphs onto the thief, vines erupting from it and tying them up.

“Wait? What?!”

She shoved them into the center of the rune on the ground, then gave it a tap. A pillar of ice burst upwards, catapulting the thief away. Camilia watched as they flew through the air towards a group of men in strange masks.

“Alright men,” the figure in the beaked mask said to the figures in cone masks. “This particular crook has managed to outsmart us before, but armed with this new plan, we’re sure to bring this scum to justice and-“

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” the pickpocket screamed as they crashed right in front of the guards.

“Ummmmmm… New plan,” Bird mask said, clapping his hands together. “We arrest the thief, don’t question how they got here, and then we get celebratory ice cream on the way to the station.”

This was met with much rejoicing from the men.

“That was… very impressive mija.”

“Eh, I still have a lot to learn,” Luz said. “But I’m getting better each day.”

_You’ve grown so much here. So much more than I ever thought possible._

#

“Aaaaaaaannnnnndddddd… done,” Eda said, the spell making the stove look even better than it had before the explosion. She turned to see the hole in the kitchen gone, though she wasn’t sure how Hooty had managed it.

“Welp, managed to get rid of the evidence,” King said, dragging a huge garbage bag behind him. “Don’t know what to do about the smell though. Whatever got spilled on the carpet is pungent.”

“And considering how little I remember from last night, it could be anything from beer to whatever was in that one bottle I left under the sink.What about the couch though?”

“Working on it. Also, what are we even doing for dinner?”

“Working on it.” Eda levitated a book off the shelf over the stove and started flipping through it. “Let’s see. Screamloaf? Too simple. Seafood and Eldritch Gumbo? Delicious, but time consuming. Leviathan Don? Not in season. Maybe-”

“JUST PICK SOMETHING”

“Alright already.” Eda flipped through a few more pages. “Ah ha, Oven Roasted Cockatrice. Classic, easy to make, and goes well with tons of different sides.” She drew another spell circle to start levitating all of the ingredients from various cupboards, as well as grabbing some of the fresh produce they had bought at the market earlier. “Just gotta make a quick crystal ball call to the bakery to get some rolls delivered, and I’ve been saving this for a special occasion.”

She tapped a loose brick on the wall, causing a secret cubby to open and reveal a bottle of vintage Barbara Sociére’s Barbera.

“Dang,” King said, stars in his eyes. “I forgot we still had that.”

“Wanted to save it for a special occasion, but looks like we’ll have to use it to save Luz.”

“Great, but what about the living room stank? And the split couch?”

“I’ll handle the couch while the cockatrice cooks. As for the stench, go up to the bathroom and grab some of my candles. The red ones with the pentagrams.”

“Wait, you mean the special candles that no one else is allowed to touch on pain of death?”

“Desperate times, my friend.”

“Kind of surprised you’re going through with all of this. Figured you’d have just shoved her through the door back to the human realm.”

“Oh, I’m tempted, believe you me, but we have to make sure Luz is happy with the result too. Though I’ll keep a few other possibilities in mind. No way we’re letting Luz go back with some woman who thinks that just cause her daughter makes griffins, and likes flowery books, and puts curses on the girl’s locker room-“

“Wait, what was that last one.”

“Not important. The point is, I know what kind of person that woman is, and the only way she’s taking our Luz away is if she pries her from my cold, dead, rotting hands.”

…

“Wow, that’s a little… intense,” King said.

“Don’t you have candles to grab?”

“Oh right. On it.”

#

“And this is where I’ve been expanding my mind and my social circle, Hexside School of Magic and Demonics.”

When Camilia had daydreamed about Luz getting into a prestigious school that would magically make her set for life, this building was pretty close to what she had imagined. Elaborate stone architecture like the pictures of Cambridge and Oxford she’d seen. The only odd thing about it was the huge eye in the tallest tower, but that was tame compared to the town buildings.

_Though with what I’ve seen, this probably means that the inside is full of pulsing organs, or something._

“So there’s a lot to see here,” Luz said. “So we’ll have to rush a little bit, but I’ll make sure we have plenty of time to meet two very important people.”

They certainly did go quickly, Luz going from one classroom to the next, giving maybe a few words of description before hurrying them off to the next stop.

“Mija, I know you’re excited, but shouldn’t we slow down just a little bit?”

“Can’t, too much to see and too little time. Now come on, I saved the best for last.”

They hurried through the halls until they got to what looked like an enormous greenhouse full of an assortment of bizarre plants, from thorned vines that slithered like snakes to a shrubbery that changed into various animals. The room was devoid of people, save for a girl with glasses trimming some kind of tree from on top of a step ladder.

“Willow!” Luz called, waving at the girl.

She looked over and the moment she saw Luz, the biggest smile came to her face. “Luz!” she said, waving back.

“Mom, I want you to meet Willow Park.”

“Wait,” Willow said. “This is your mom? What is she- actually, I’m guessing that’s a long story.” She held out her hand to Camilia. “It wonderful to meet you.”

“Same to you,” Camilia said, shaking her hand. “Luz has been really excited to introduce me. Though I remember her saying there were two people she really wanted me to meet.”

“Oh yeah. Willow, have you seen Gus anywhere?” Luz said.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” a young boy said, popping into the room with a puff of smoke.

“Um… Gus,” Willow said.

“Now now, hold your applause until I... Teleport to the correct side of the room.” He drew another spell circle and poofed in front of the group. “Speak of the weevil and they shall- Wait, no, now I’m getting the line wrong. Should I start over? No, the moment’s passed, and I flubbed it.”

“It was a good effort,” Luz said, patting her friend on the back. “Anyway, mami, this is Augustus Porter. One of the smartest people I know and a master of showmanship.”

“Who occasionally has an off day.”

“We all have those,” Camilia said. “And for the record, I was very impressed.”

“Thanks,” Gus said, blushing. “It’s great to meet another human by the way.”

“Oh yeah, Gus is the leader of the Human Appreciation Society,” Luz said.

“ **Was**. it’s a long story. Not a huge loss though, cause I’m already friends with the coolest human ever.”

“Oh stop you.”

Camilia couldn’t help but let out a “Awwww.”

“Mom!” Luz said, her cheeks turning red.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Willow said, stepping down from the ladder. “But Luz, I was wondering how that assignment from Mrs. Venus was coming along? I remember you having a little trouble getting your Mandrake to behave.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been getting a lot of practice done.” A flash of panic flitted across her face. “By the way, totally unrelated, just throwing it out there, but how far have guys gotten on your Demonic History reports?”

Willow and Gus exchanged a look.

“You haven’t even started yet, have you?” Willow said.

“Give me some credit, I actually got the research done this time, but then Mrs. Arachne was offering extra credit for tutoring some of the younger kids, then Amity and I had Azura Book club, and Skara wanted some feedback on her latest harp piece, and then-“

“Okay, okay,” Gus said. “We’ll work on your overcrowded schedule later.”

“Goodness, you’ve been busy, mija,” Camilia said.

“Can’t help it. There’s so much cool stuff to learn and experience. I want to try it all.”

_That’s my Luz, all it takes is a spark to set her passions ablaze._

“Getting back to the report, how about we get together at my place tonight and work on it together?” Gus said.

“Gonna have to postpone that, mom and I are gonna have dinner at the Owl House.”

“I have some… business to discuss with the Owl Lady,” Camilia said.

Willow looked from Luz to Camilia, her smile fading. “What kind of business?” she said.

The way she was looking at her, Camilia felt like she had just kicked this girl’s dog and then laughed at her. “It’s nothing serious,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Actually, no, it is serious. But nothing’s been decided yet. Don’t worry.”

Gus’ smile vanished as well, he looked at Luz and then at Camilia with the same hurt look.

**BZZZT**

“Oh snap,” Luz said, pulling out her phone. “We need to get back to the Owl House.”

“Already?” Camilia said. “I didn’t even realize it was that late.”

“Neither did I.” Luz turned to her friends. “Sorry guys, see you later.”

The two of them started towards the exit.

“Wait,” Willow said, putting a hand on Luz’ arm. “Could we borrow your daughter for a minute?”

“Of course, dear,” Camilia said. She exited the room, but she couldn’t help but eavesdrop.

“Luz,” Willow said. “Does this mean you’re… that you’re…”

“Leaving?” Luz said.

Her friends nodded.

“I don’t know. But maybe. It’s gonna depend on what my mom decides.”

“What if she decides to make you leave?” Gus said. “Wait, what if I created a clone and sent that back with her?”

“Gus, that’d be lying and there’s no way you’d be able to keep a clone going for that long.”

“We don’t know until we try, I’ve been getting really good. The one I leave in class actually takes notes now. Most of the time, anyway.”

“Come on, Gus,” Willow said. “It’d falter sooner or later. Though maybe if I grew a Luz shaped plant and you enchanted it, that would last longer.”

“Ooh, perfect.”

“Guys, guys,” Luz said. “It’s so sweet that you’re even considering this, but… but I can’t keep lying to my mom like I have. So if she says I can’t stay, then I’m just gonna have to go.”

“No,” Willow said. “You don’t want that, Eda doesn’t want that.”

“We don’t want that,” Gus said, tears starting to form.

Luz smiled, then hugged both her friends tight.

“It’ll be okay guys,” she said. “I don’t want to go, but even if I have to, I’m still going to find a way back here. I promise.”

“Let’s take it a step further,” Willow said, she put all their hands together and then drew a spell circle over them; enveloping their hands in light. “The Everlasting Oath is sealed. Even if we’re worlds apart, we’ll still be friends.”

“Agreed,” Gus said.

“Oh my god, you guys, I’m gonna cry,” Luz said.

Camilia wiped a tear sliding down her cheek. _You’ve found your people, Luz. They’re not imaginary, or reptilian, and they love you for being you._

#

“Whoo,” King said, collapsing on the now fixed couch. “We actually did it. I don’t know how, but I don’t really care.”

“Don’t get too comfortable, we aren’t done yet,” Eda said.

“What? Did I miss a spot or something?”

“No, we still have dinner with that woman and we gotta prepare for if it fails.”

“Eh, I think we’re fine. We got the mess cleaned up, the stove back where it belongs, and dinner’s cooking in the oven. I’m actually feeling pretty confident about our chances.”

Eda groaned. “We don’t have time to take it easy. If we mess up, then we’re condemning Luz to an existence of boredom and being stuffed into a box. Is that what you want?”

“Geez, lighten up Drama Queen. Between this and the ‘cold, dead, rotting hands’ thing from earlier, you’re way too on edge.”

“Course I’m on edge! The thing Luz was trying to get away from is here and I am not letting her get carted off to some prison to get turned into a mindless drone who can’t embarrass her family.”

King narrowed his eyes. “You know, I’m starting to get the feeling that this might not actually be about Luz.”

“What are you implying, little man?”

“Maybe that the reason you’re so intense about this has more to do with you than it has to do with Luz.”

“Don’t you get high and mighty with me, mister,” Eda said, jabbing her finger into the demon’s belly. “Like it isn’t obvious you want Luz to stay so you can keep your monopoly on her cuddles.”

“I never denied that. And I certainly never dressed it up like I’m not being selfish. I mean, sure, the camp thing was a little misguided but-.”

“A LITTLE MISGUIDED!?” Eda screeched

That was enough to get King to scamper back a bit, whimpering.

Eda froze. The look of terror in King’s eyes broke her heart.

“Look, I know the kind of person that woman is. She’ll dress it up like it’s for Luz’s own good, but what she wants is selfish at the core. If we don’t do something, she’ll guilt trip Luz into becoming something she isn’t just to not disappoint her mother. Now, I know that sounds far fetched, but I’m speaking from experience here. I grew up with someone like that woman, and I’m not letting Luz go through the same.”

“There! This is about you! First the locker room thing, then the ‘embarrassing her family’ bit, and now this! That’s three strikes, which in the rules of soccer, makes you a turkey!” King waved his arm in front of his face making trumpeting sounds.

“You don’t know what soccer, or a turkey is, do you,” Eda said.

“Maybe not, but I know a selfish person when I see one. You and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, but I never expected you to push your problems onto Luz. I seriously thought you were better than this,” He got off the couch and started walking towards the exit, he opened the door and looked back. “So either prove me wrong, or you can forget about my help!”

The door came to a gentle close as he walked out. He popped his head back in.

“I meant to slam it, but my tiny arms failed me. In light of that, this will have to do. SLAM!”

The door closed again with barely a creak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter is in a week. Hoping ya'll are enjoying how the story is going.


	3. Realizations and Decisions

“So, we didn’t get to all the places I wanted to show you, but there is one more thing I want you to see. Would it be alright if we go after dinner?” Luz said, as she and her mother walked towards the Owl House.

“Of course, mija,” Camilia said. “Now how far did you say this place was?”

“We should be in sight of it right… about… now.”

The forest was gone and standing in front of them was a two story house with a large stain glass window built to resemble an owl’s eye.

“Heads up,” Luz said. “You’re about to meet Hooty and he can be… a lot.”

“I’ll brace myself then,” Camilia said.

As they approached the door, the faceplate started to speak. “Hey Luz, who’s your friend?”

“Hooty, this is my mom.”

“Hello,” Camilia said. _The door talks. Well, that’s not the strangest thing I’ve seen today._

“Yay, a new friend! We can talk! Play games! Help distract each other from the inevitability of death! Play games!-“

“SorryHootygottagobye.” Luz threw the door open and the two of them ran inside.

“Okay, see you la-“ **SLAM**

“He seemed… enthusiastic,” Camilia said.

“First rule of the Owl House, know when to get away from Hooty.”

“My my,” Camilia said, looking over the living room. Out of all the places she’d seen today, this place felt the most normal. Granted, the number of bizarre objects on the walls and shelves made it clear that this was still the Boiling Isles. However, little things like the cinnamon sugar scent from the lit candles and the pictures of Luz and her new friends made the place feel familiar. Camilia looked to one of The Owl Lady and Luz doing air guitar together and felt her stomach sink just a bit.

“Mom?”

She jolted at her daughter’s voice. She put on her best fake smile and said, “It’s nothing, Luz.”

“Luz! You’re back!”

The little demon dog thing from earlier ran into the room and leapt into Luz’s arms.

“Hey King, ya cutie patootie,” Luz said giving him a hug. “Everything go alright while I was gone?”

“Way better than expected, actually.“ He glanced at Camilia, the back to Luz. “Hey, could you put me down real quick?”

Luz obliged. The little demon took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry about earlier today. About licking your ear, making you chase me, and calling you a monster. Luz is my best friend ever and the thought of her going away scared me. But then… some stuff happened and I realized I’d was being selfish.” He looked to Luz. “You’re the coolest person I know and you deserve to be around people who are willing to put your needs first. So, whatever happens tonight, just know I’ll stand by you.”

Luz knelt down and give King a kiss on the forehead. “You little muffin, I’m so lucky to have you as a friend.”

King just gave her another hug, while Camilia smiled.

“Hey Luz, your scary ladyfriend is here!” Hooty said.

“Awesome, Amity arri- Wow!” Luz said.

Amity walked in wearing a long green skirt and white button up with a pink sweater draped over her shoulders. Her hair had been styled just a bit to make it curl at the ends and her ponytail was tied back with a pink ribbon.

“Does it look okay?” she said.

Luz tried for several seconds to remember how to form words, but eventually she just gave a very enthusiastic nod.

“Oh, I still can’t believe that my daughter has such a pretty girlfriend,” Camilia said, proud tears starting to form in her eyes.

“Oh,” Amity said. “Th-thank you. I mean… It’s simply important for one of the Star Student to look her best. As well as the heir to the Blight family and this year’s Grom Queen.”

She attempted to look non-plussed, but Camilia knew when her reaction was being gauged.

“I… don’t know what most of that means.”

She could tell from the way Amity flinched that a bit of the girl had died inside.

“But it sounds very impressive,” Camilia said. “And you can explain it all to me over dinner. Speaking of which, what is that amazing smell?”

“That would be dinner,” The Owl Lady said, walking in with several platters floating in the air next to her. “Just give me a minute to set the table.” She drew a spell circle, a table materialized in the middle of the living room followed by five chairs and five sets of utensils and plates. “Dinner is served.”

#

“Oh, this is fantastic,” the woman said, tucking into her cockatrice with the biggest smile on her face.

“Well not to brag, but I know my way around a kitchen. Always make sure no one in this house goes hungry,” Eda said. She’d managed to get her smile to look less forced, but she still could not suppress just how much this woman angered her. Though now there was something else to it. Some horrible little voice in the back of her mind that kept playing the conversation with King from earlier. The fact that this woman was managing to put on a convincing act of pleasantness was not helping things.

“I can see that. It’s wonderful to know that Luz has had someone to look after her,” the woman said. There was a flash of what might have been sadness across her face. It was so fast that Eda brushed it aside.

_Flattery will get you nowhere. And neither will this act._

“Eda’s the best,” Luz said. “She took me in, taught me magic, and she’s given me so much. I honestly don’t know how to thank her.”

“Aw kid, you’re making me blush,” Eda said.

“It’s certainly clear my daughter thinks very highly of you,” The woman said. “Though I would like to ask about the wanted poster.”

“There’s actually not much to say about it,” Amity said. “There’s probably some other charges, but the main reason she’s got such a high bounty is that she hasn’t joined a Coven and she’s managed to avoid joining one for a while. It’s a crime that tends to get judged much more harshly than other offenses and even then, most rogue witches have done much worse than her. If anything, she’s got more morals than a lot of Coven Witches I know.”

_Thank you, Ms. Blight._

“I guess that’s true,” King said. “Though she could stand to think of others more.”

He reached for the last roll, only for Eda to snatch it and stuff the whole thing into her mouth.

“Oops,” she said. “Looks like we’re out.”

“Oh, real mature.”

“Here,” Camilia said, putting hers on King’s plate. “I need to cut down on my carbs anyway.”

“New favorite person,” King said, tucking into the buttery treat.

_I swear, if you weren’t so cute I’d turn you to cinders along with her._

“I’ll handle clean up tonight,” Luz said, gathering up the dishes.

“Let me help,” Amity said.

“You really don’t-“

“Luz, sweetie, love of my life, aren’t you forgetting something.” She drew two spell circles, summoning two abominations.

“Point taken.” Four sets of hands dealt with the table quickly, which turned out to be a bit of a problem as it now meant Eda was stuck alone with a traiter and the woman. The silence that fell was so thick you could use it to smother your rich grandmother for her fortune.

“So… uhhhhh,” King said. “How was the tour of the Isles?”

“It was… a lot,” Camilia said. “But, Luz was there to help me process it all. She’s really in her element here. She’s learning new things, making friends, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier.”

_Somebody grab a cushion, cause I feel a “but” coming._

“But I’m also not sure I want her this far away from home. This isn’t just a camp that’s about a half hour drive away, it’s a whole other world.”

_Just keep up the fake concern. Sugarcoat the real reason you don’t want her here._

“I just want to know that she’s safe and I knew there was a risk with sending her off, but there wouldn’t be anything that would try to eat her at camp.”

_You don’t want her in a place where you can’t monitor her every move._

“There’s also no getting over the fact that she’s been lying to me for over a month now. I still feel so torn up about that.”

_You hate the fact that she’s getting out from under your thumb._

“There’s just a lot here that makes me feel like I should bring her home, but then there’s-“ She kept going,but Eda was already tuning her out. She’d heard enough.

_Well, you certainly didn’t waste any time showing your real face. But I always knew this was coming and that this was how it would end._

“So, I’m honestly at a loss at what to do,” the woman said.

“I think I might actually have an idea,” Eda said.

“Really?” Both King and Camilia said.

“Yeah, you can just have Luz back,” She slammed her hand on the table. “RIGHT AFTER YOU PRY HER FROM MY COLD, DEAD, ROTTING HANDS!”

#

“What?!” Camilia said, backing away from the table and away from the witch who was looking at her with pure hate.

“You heard me,” Eda said. “You’re not taking Luz.”

“Taking? I never even said I was going to have her come back! Please, just calm down.”

“You expect me to be calm when the person who almost ripped out what makes Luz wonderful comes in and threatens to do it again?”

“I was trying to help her! I didn’t want her to lose what made her unique, but she needed to be reigned in. She needed focus, discipline, she-“

“She needed to stop making people uncomfortable, right? She needed to stop embarrassing you. Who cares if she only did it because you wanted her to? Who cares if it made her unhappy? It’s for her own good, right?”

Each word hit like a knife to the chest.

“What did you tell her? That her quirks were holding her back? That if she wanted to amount to anything, she needed to be less herself?”

“I never-“

“You might not have said it out loud, but what other reason can you think of that would make a girl run away to another world with a strange woman?” The Owl Lady got up and stalked towards Camilia. “Does that sound like a happy kid?”

She tried to find words, but nothing came. Nothing.

“Face it, she didn’t run away, you drove her off. So don’t expect me to just sit back and let you hurt her any-“

“ALRIGHT!” Camilia yelled, tears falling down her cheeks. “I admit it! I made a mistake, I let my daughter down when she needed me! I had the best intentions, but they don’t erase the hurt.”

She wiped her eyes.

“Luz, she’s… she’s my daughter, my light, my whole world. I never meant to hurt her, but I still did. I admit that. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything in my power to make it right. I can’t promise I won’t hurt her again, but I’m not leaving her behind like I did before. Not now, not ever again.”

“Wow,” The Owl Lady said, clapping slowly and sarcastically. “Give the woman a prize, I almost believed that. Unfortunately for you, I stand by what I said. Luz is staying right here, with her real family.”

Camilia clenched her fists, her body shaking as she said, “You were there for Luz when I wasn’t and I’m grateful for that. But I will not let you take her from me, not even if I do have to pry her from your cold, dead, rotting hands.”

“Alright then,” The Owl Lady summoned a ball of fire to her hand. “Your funeral.”

“Abomination, RISE!”

Something purple and gooey tackled Eda, bringing her to the ground and away from Camilia. She looked over to see Amity with a completed spell circle in front of her and Luz looking shocked and angry.

’Thanks Mittens,” she said, before walking over to her downed mentor. “What’s going on here?!”

“Really not a good time, kid,” Eda said. Spell circle drawn, the abomination froze solid. One solid kick shattered it.

“Abomination, RI-“

“Stay out of this,” Eda said, summoning glowing handcuffs that clamped down on Amity’s wrists, her spell circle dissipating.

“Eda?!” Luz said. “Take those off, right now!” She reached into her pocket, only for Eda to grab her wrist.

“Don’t you even think about using glyphs on me, young lady.”

“Then don’t you put chains on my girlfriend!”

“She shouldn’t have sicked her abomination on me then. This doesn’t concern her.”

“Considering this is supposed to be about Luz, my girlfriend, I think it concerns me at least a little bit!” Amity said, trying to get the cuffs off.

“I’m asking again, what’s going on here, Eda? First you try to set my mom on fire and then you attack Amity, why?”

“Because of her!” Eda said, pointing to Camilia. “To keep her from taking you away!”

“I never said I was going to take her back,” Camilia said. “I said I didn’t know what to do. But if this is how you’re choosing to act, maybe I should.”

“There, you see.”

“I agree with her,” Luz said.

Eda looked at Luz with sheer disbelief.

“If your response to this kind of thing is to attack my family and friends, then maybe I should leave!”

There was a flash of anger in Eda’s eyes, something that burned like a wildfire, and, for just a moment, Luz worried that she’d turn that fire on her. She stepped back.

Eda’s face fell. She reached out, only for her apprentice to flinch away. “Luz, I know this seems extreme, but trust me when I say that I know where this leads and I swore that I would never let it happen to you.”

“But how can you be so sure? You haven’t even known my mom for a day and she’s even admitted to making a mistake. How can you say she just wants to hurt me?”

“I- I just do. I’m not letting her take you away and that’s final!”

“And what if Luz decides to go back?” Amity said. “Are you gonna chain her up too?”

“Yeah Eda,” Luz said. “Are you?”

For just a moment, doubt flickered across The Owl Lady’s face. Only for a moment. “If it means protecting you.”

Luz went rigid as stone. The shock on her face was like she had just gotten stabbed. That shocked melted away as tears ran down her cheeks and she yelled, “If that’s your way of protecting me, then I don’t want your protection!”

“THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, LUZ!”

“REALLY?! BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THIS ISN’T ABOUT ME AT ALL!”

The Owl Lady froze. She looked to the restraints on Amity, then to Camilia, before finally resting her gaze on Luz. There was a flash of something in her eyes, something so so sad. She sighed, the restraints on Amity turning to dust. “You’re right, this isn’t about you. It should’ve been, but I made it about me.” She looked to Camilia. “I’ll get her things packed.”

“Wait, what?!” Luz said. “Eda, that’s not-“

The witch put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Luz. You deserve so much more than some selfish old lady forcing her issues onto you.” She walked off.

“No, wait! Eda!” Luz said, running after her.

“Um…” Camilia said. “Should I-“

“In a couple minutes,” King said. “Just give them some time to talk.’

She let herself collapse into a nearby chair, a million thoughts running throug her head. _She might have been coming from the wrong place, but what The Owl La-, no, what Eda said wasn’t wrong. I did fail Luz, and now I have to make sure I don’t do that a second time. Because if I don’t, then we’ll end up just like me and my mo… I know what to do._

_#_

Eda had already started levitating Luz’ things into her trunk when she heard her apprentice enter the room.

“Shouldn’t be too much longer,” Eda said, putting Luz’ books and clothes into place with a flick of her wrist.

“Eda, wai-“

“Luz, you know I’m awful with heartfelt good byes. So… let’s keep this quick and painless. Like slicing off an infected limb.”

For a moment, Luz didn’t say anything. What was going on in her head, Eda could only guess. She just kept her focus on getting everything packed up.

“Can you at least do one thing for me?” Luz said.

“That depends,” Eda said. “What is it?”

“Just… tell me why you got so mad in the first place?”

Eda froze. She’d hoped to not have to do this. However, after everything that had happened, Luz deserved to know the truth.Eda sat on the trunk and patted the space next to her. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“I don’t mind,” Luz said, taking a seat.

Eda took a deep breath, bracing herself for the coming storm. She was going to be digging into feelings she’d wanted to believe she had grown out of, but that clearly wasn’t the case. “My relationship with my family is… well, you’ve seen me and Lillith. We used to be close long ago. But my mom…” Eda sighed.

“Take your time,” Luz said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

“Thanks kid. Anyway, my mom and I were never really on good terms. I think, deep down, she cared about us, but her way of showing it could be pretty harsh, and not in a ‘tough love’ kind of way. In a, ‘it’s for your own good’ kind of way. She was always pushing us, always scrutinizing everything we did, and always quick to snap at us when we messed up, or embarrassed her. Lillith and I handled things differently, she did everything she could to be everything mom wanted in a daughter while I…”

“Became a rebel?”

“Damn straight. I did everything I could to be my own kind of witch. I did things my own way, went places I was told never to go to, and I hung out with whoever I wanted rather than who would benefit the family. I want to say that this led to me becoming a fierce young witch who didn’t need anyone’s approval, but…” Eda wrapped her arms around herself. “I think there was always a part of me that, just once, wanted to hear her say she was proud of me.”

“Oh, Eda,” Luz said, hugging her mentor. “That must have been so hard.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Eda said, returning the hug. “She was not an easy person to live with, even if she did what she did out of love.”

“I can see where you’re coming from.”

Eda and Luz looked to see the wo- No, Camilia, standing at the doorway.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but-“

“Don’t worry about it,” Eda said. “You weren’t the one who threatened to set somebody on fire today after all.”

“Anyway, what I was saying is that I have an idea of what you’re talking about. I mean, about having a parent who was difficult to live with. Which is why I’ve got some explaining to do of my own.”

She looked to her daughter.

“Luz, when I was a little girl, my mother, she was strict. She could be loving and warm, but she worried about everything I did, everyplace I went, and about everyone I spent time with. And even as I got older, she never changed that outlook. Right up until I moved out. She wanted to teach me to be a good daughter, but you know what I ended up learning?”

“What?”

“That if I wanted to be free, I had to hide who I really was from her. If I wanted to go where I wanted, I had to lie to her each day. If I wanted to be around people I cared about, then I had to learn how to go behind her back. That ended up driving a wedge between us that I’m still not sure will ever go away. When I had you, I swore I wouldn’t make that kind of mistake with my own children, but I think it’s clear that I did.”

She walked over to her daughter, took to one knee and put her hands on her shoulders. “Mija, I haven’t been here long, but I’ve gotten to see that you’ve really found someplace special. You’ve got friends, you’re discovering things about yourself, and you’re growing up into a wonderful young woman. And I wouldn’t be a very good mother if I took that away from you.”

Luz’ eyes widened. “Mami, do you mean-“

“You can stay, mija.”

“Yesyesyesyesyesyes YES!” she said, jumping up to her feet. “I gotta go tell everyone the great news, and then we still have that one last thing to see.” She left the room with a skip in her step.

“Heh,” Eda said. “If she’s showing you what I think she’s showing you, you’re in for a treat.”

“I hope so. Honestly, it’s still going to take me a while to get used to this place. But for Luz’s sake, I’ll learn.”

Eda sighed. “So… I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“About everything. Sorry for all I said down there, sorry for the fire to the face, and I’m sorry for putting my garbage on Luz’s shoulders. Maybe the camp thing wasn’t the best choice, but other than that, and this is probably going to sound really weird, I would have killed to have had a mom like you.”

The stunned look on Camilia’s face grew into a sad and bashful smile. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

Eda smiled and held out her hand. “Peace?”

“Peace,” Camilia said, accepting the hand. Then screaming a bit when she pulled back and the hand came with her. “What the?”

“Oops,” Eda said, putting it back on her wrist. “Sorry, that’s been happening a lot.”

#

“Alright,” Luz said, leading her mom across the beach, a ball of light in hand to guide their way. “Looks like we’re just in time.”

“For what?” Camilia said.

“Just take a seat and wait a moment. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.”

So they did. For a bit the only thing there was the sound of the waves splashing against the rocks and sand; the only light being the moon and the stars. In the distance, there appeared a glow. It started small, but began to grow. And grow and grow and grow until it was like a sun under the water’s surface. With a splash, something flew out of the water and into the air. It had a long, serpentine body but with wings like a manta ray. It’s body glowed in a rainbow of colors, gliding through the air before diving back into the water. Two more burst from the glow, tussling and wrestling, their calls sonorous as they played together. Two others flew up and looped the looped around each other like they were dancing. Soon, all of them were jumping out of the water, into the air, and back down again; the display of color taking Camilia’s breath away.

“What are they?” she said.

“They’re called leviathans. They spend most of the day swimming at the very bottom of the sea. Then, when night comes, they come to the surface to get food and to play like this. They flash colors like that to attract mates and todraw in eels, their favorite prey.”

Sure enough, eels started swimming towards the pod, the leviathans flashing their mouths of teeth as they helped themselves. It sent a shiver up Camilia’s spine, but not due to fear. Not entirely.

“Look,” Luz said. “I know the Boiling Isles can be scary and full of teeth, but there’s a lot here that’s beautiful as well. That’s actually one of the first things Eda taught me. It was what I wanted to show you this whole time. To maybe help you see what I see in this place.”

“I dont’ know if I’ll ever see it quite the way you do, but that’s alright.” Camilia hugged her daughter. “You’ve found your place here and that’s all I could ever want for you.”

Luz hugged her mom back. The two of them watching as the leviathans swam through the sky in a dance of rainbow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's my first multi-chapter fic. Thanks to everyone for the kudos and wonderful comments. Also, keep an eye on things because I have some other Owl House stories coming. Heck, I might actually get them out before the turn of the century.

**Author's Note:**

> First multi-chapter fic and first Owl House fic, hope it turned out good. Next chapter set to be published in one week, so look forward to that.


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